Learning to Fall
by OneFrighteningLittleMonster123
Summary: Bella was never really a part of "that group" so when Alice drags her to the party of the year, she is reluctant. Little does she know this night could lead her to hapiness. All Human.
1. I So Couldn't Do This

**Hey everyone. It has been a while so I wanted to start off a nice, light hearted story. I hope you enjoy it, and thanks for reading!**

**Bella's POV**

"But Alice, I don't _want _to go there." I insisted, the last of a thousand times. I knew I was begging to sound whiny but I was too mortified by the idea of what she was dragging me into, to care.

"Bella," She sighed, the last of a thousand times. "Please?" I knew she would have been giving me the puppy dog eyes but all my eyes could focus on were her shoes. Four inch, neon pink pumps. The sight of them was enough to make me cringe, and I wasn't even the one wearing them.

"I can't do it, Alice." I said, eyeing the shoes.

Alice let out a huff and stamped one of her feet. "I know I'm asking a lot, but Bella I can't go without you. I need you there. And, I know I sound like a five year old, but please?"

"Well that's just it," I said slowly, my eyes finally traveling back to her face. "What have I got anything to do with a party?"

Not just any party- _Edward Cullen's _party. The talk of the town, the highlight of the year. Just about our entire senior class was going and that was exactly why I didn't plan on going.

"Bella," I could hear Alice's tone taking on a new form. She was past begging now. Instead desperation coloured her tone. I could read it on her face like a book. She knew she wouldn't have the guts to go it alone, so I was her only option.

"This isn't just another party, I hope you realize. Everyone is going to be there. Well, really I'm just going because _he _is going to be there."

Jasper Hale. Alice's long time crush which she has had no luck with so far. I don't even see why she likes him. I mean, he's part of Edward's crew and people like Alice and I don't associate with people like Edward and Jasper. But despite my reasoning she still pined after him.

"Why don't you just take Rosalie then? If you want someone to go with you so bad, I'm sure she is already going." I said crossing my arms. She couldn't weasel her way out of that.

Rosalie was new to the school and had become close with Alice. I didn't know her very well be she seemed to get along well with Alice

"I could take Rosalie," She began with a dramatic sigh. "But I know that by the time we get into the door she'll find Emmett and then I'll be alone again."

"Wait, what?" She had my attention immediately. "You mean Emmett Cullen? As in Edwards older brother?" I asked, my mouth coming open. "I didn't know Rosalie hung out with those people."

"Well of course she does." Alice said with a tone that hinted at my stupidity. "She is beautiful."

Alice was right. What, with her long legs, thin frame, and flowing blonde hair, Rosalie had been a hit since day one.

"And to think I bought this dress for nothing." Alice said with a sad laugh as she ran her hands over the expensive black dress. I knew exactly what she was doing, but I was powerless against it.

"Say I was to go to this party, what would I wear?" I asked, gesturing to my current attire. Track pants with a baggy T-shirt and my hair pulled into a loose knot.

"I have something in mind." Alice said with a squeal and pulled me to my feet in a rush. "We have no time! Start working through your hair while I find your outfit, alright?" She instructed as she all but shoved me into the bathroom.

"Oh- okay." I managed to stutter before she disappeared into her house.

On the counter sat what looked to be various torture devices. Curling irons. Straighteners. Hair dryers. Hot rollers. The sight of them all made my head spin and I had no idea where to start. Well, think rationally Bella. Which one looks easiest to use? After several minutes of debating I grabbed one of the strighteners and plugged it into the wall.

When it was heated I began to run it through my hair, only burning myself twice before I had gotten the hang of it. I was actually kind of pleased with the way it was turning out.

It wasn't long before Alice returned with a garment bag, poorly hidden behind her tiny back.

"Good job with the hair." She said with a grin and yanked the plug from the wall. "Now for the dress, and please don't freak out on me."

"Why, is it bad?" I asked, panic clawing it's way up my throat. What had I gotten myself into?

"Not bad at all." She said with a grin. "I want you to keep an open mind is all."

She pulled with white bag from behind her back and pulled the zipper down with a flourish. Inside was a midnight blue dress with what looked like black tiger stripes all over. It had halter style straps and a neckline that was too daring in my opinion. The dress was beautiful, but not my kind of beautiful.

"What do you think?" Alice asked hopefully. " I've had it lying around for a while, just in case a night like this was to come along."

"It's nice, but I couldn't possibly wear something like that." I said, my cheeks turning red at the thought of stepping in front of the entire class with a neckline so low.

"Let yourself be Cinderella for a night, Bella." Alice said in a whisper and nearly pushed the dress into my chest. "I'll be back in five minutes and that better be on." Alice gave me one last menacing look before closing the bathroom door to leave me in privacy.

Here goes nothing. I slipped off the sweats and slid into the dress. It was as if it was made for my body and the neckline really wasn't so bad when I actually saw it on myself. I'd have to give Alice some more credit.

She was back moments after I had the dress on, her timing had always been great, armed with makeup, brushes, and a shoebox.

"What's in the box?" I asked, my eyes roaming over the outside looking for some kind of picture.

"You'll find out soon enough." She said and placed it on the ground before stepping over it. "By the way, that dress is perfect." She let out a dazzling smile. "Now to work on your makeup, and I think I'm going to curl your hair."

"But I straightened it." I said with a huff.

"I know, and you did a good job, but curls would go better with the look I am planning."

"Fine," I said with a sigh and slipped my eyes closed while she began to primp and prod me. It didn't seem like a long time, but soon enough she was shaking my shoulder and announcing she was finished.

I nearly gasped once I open my eyes and peered into the mirror. The Bella I knew had completely transformed into a princess. My eyes were lined neatly in black with a dusty blue shadow on top. My cheeks were the perfect shade of pink and my hair was curled in perfect ringlets.

"You like?" Alice asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I love." I said with a laugh, and tilted my head this way and that to get a better look at her makeup job.

"Now, please don't argue with me now. Without these shoes, the outfit will not work. Just put them on, will you?" She scooped up the box from the floor and popped open the lid to reveal my worst nightmare. Blue suede pumps with a white bow on the front. Cute shoes, but my eyes were glued to the large heal at the back.

"How do you expect me to walk in those?" I asked, my eyes going wide.

"You'll catch on by the end of the night. It's just like riding a bike." She said with a wink and bent down to slip them on my feet.

"There," She said when she was finished. "Try walking around."

I took a deep breath and pushed up with my legs and I thought I had kept my balance. But I was wrong. Soon my legs began to quiver, one of my ankles gave way and soon I had collapsed into Alice's arms. I so couldn't do this.

**So, I hope this was good and please let me know what you thought. Thank you for reading, it means a lot to me.  
**


	2. Swing With Me

**Bella's POV**

The lights flashed and the music pulsed loudly in my ears. The sticky heat radiating off the sweaty bodies crowding the dance floor was making my head hurt. Even standing by the cracked open window, the evening may air was just as hot as inside if not warmer.

Everywhere I turned there were bodies swaying to the music- the night was still young and there I was, cowering in a corner. I pushed all my weight onto my tiptoes. This was a relief for my ankles which have been screaming in protest all night due to the suede death traps strapped to them.

Finally I could see Alice's tiny head bobbing up and down in the sea of people- not in the sea exactly, but right in the middle of it. Of course I would be perfectly welcome to join her- if I was brave enough. But that evolved me crossing the entire room and shoving through the dance floor which was a blur of short skirts and T-shirts.

No, it was far safer for me here with my back pressed up against the wall, breathing in what little fresh air I could get.

Besides, dancing had never been my thing and I'd best not try it out again here. The thought of the humiliation alone was enough to make my shudder.

I pushed my back closer into the wall as a group shoved past my in search of action. I kept my eyes trained on Alice's tiny frame as she bounced up in down in perfect time to the obnoxious music. If I were to lose her, I would have no hopes of finding her again- the place was _massive. _

Timeless, tall, graceful and white. The kind of homes that graced the pages of my mothers decorating magazines. I'm talking three stories, swimming pool, balconies, and enough rooms to make my head spin.

There seemed to be plenty of people here too. I thought once I caught a glimpse of a friend for school, but she disappeared amongst the crowd before I could even blink. At first I was stunned as to why she would be here, but then I remembered that _everyone _was supposed to be here. _I, _was here and that was saying something.

I took in a much needed gulp of fresh air as a kid five feet from me vomited violently and then collapsed. No one took notice of him but instead them simply step over him. Some even step _on _him. It was a small comfort to know I wasn't the only one being trampled.

I can practically hear Alice's warning voice back in the car. _"Now Bella, you promise you'll be social tonight?"_

I let out a groan. I wasn't really anti social- I swear I'm not. But the thought of the persons house I'm in made my stomach churn uncomfortably.

I didn't hate Edward Cullen. I just didn't like him. At all. There is a difference, trust me.

You see, I didn't really have a reason to hate him. I hadn't really ever talked to him properly. He was far off, untouchable, unattainable to someone of my social status. But I had seen him; saw the way he acted; I had even heard things about him from others. It was nearly pathetic how many trivial facts I knew about the guy.

To me, that was enough to dislike him.

"Bella!"

I snapped my head in the direction of my name being called over the monotonous voice of some rapper I couldn't name.

Oh, there she was.

"Alice." I said with a satisfying sigh.

She sauntered over to me, her body gleaming in the flashing lights. "So, I see you are still alone in the corner. Have you even tried to be social yet?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Very funny," I said with a sigh and I wasn't sure she was able to hear me over the pounding music. "Have you spotted him yet?" I asked, trying to shift the focus from me.

"Not yet." She said maintaining her grin. "But the night is young and I haven't really tried to look for him yet." She reached up and patted a piece of stray hair back into place. For a girl that had been dancing for an hour straight, she looked amazing.

Suddenly Alice was yanking my arm and pulling me through the crowd. The people parted way easily for her as she stormed past them. Now, why couldn't they do that for me?

She lead us into a living area typed room which was quieter and less packed. I let out a breath of relief to be away from the other, awful room.

"Sorry, I couldn't hear you." She said slowly. "Now, Bella. What do we know about Jasper?"

"He's friends with Edward Cullen." I said with a grumble and crossed my arms.

"Well that doesn't help me." Alice said as she began to pace. "He'd obviously be with Edward, but Edward could be _anywhere." _

"Oh," I said. "So you're going to look for him then?"

"Not _me_." Alice said with a wicked grin. "_Us. _But I don't have the slightest clue as to where he might be."

"Like I said before, he'd be where Edward was." I said slowly, the light bulb going off in my head.

Alice didn't catch on. "And like _I _said before. Edward could be anywhere, Bella. This place is huge." She let out a frustrated breath.

"That is true," I said patiently. "But why would he be anywhere, when he could be somewhere in particular?" Alice just stared at my blankly so I dropped the mind games. "Look, if you were Edward Cullen; the host of one of the biggest parties of the year, where would you want to be?"

I could practically see the gears churning in her head. "I see where you are going with this." She said with a smile.

"That doesn't answer my question." I said, crossing my arms with my own grin on my face.

"If I were Edward Cullen, I'd want to be where the girls are." Alice smiled.

"Correct. And if you were the kind of girl who was into Edward Cullen, where would you want to be?" I raised my eyebrows at her.

"Where ever I could show off the most skin!"

"Right," I practically muttered. "Now let's find this pool of his…"

It took us about fifteen minutes of good searching to find our way out of the vast house and then another five minutes after that to scour the outside before we found the pool.

As soon I laid eyes on it, I knew I had had a stroke of pure genius, because what did we find?

Not only were there less people outside; less noise, less hype; not only was it beautiful and dark and had more room to move about in- but it also seemed to be the main attraction amongst just the people we had been looking for. The girls. And one certain tall, blonde guy that made my friend's heart beat quicken.

Jasper Whitlock, we have found you.

Almost immediately I had noticed that my prediction hadn't been entirely accurate. Where was the leading man, Edward Cullen? I couldn't spot him anywhere amongst the people lounging about the pool. Surely he wouldn't leave his guests to lie around themselves. They needed someone to copy, to laugh with, to ogle at.

My eyes came to rest on the six or so girls that had flocked to the pool. Some of them sat at the edge of the pool, their toes just skimming the water, while a few of the others laid back on the tiles which didn't seem very comfortable. Some of them wore skimpy bikinis, while other wore skirts that were close enough to bikinis anyways.

They were all in my grade and everyone seemed to want to be friends with them. I had yet to make conversation with them, but it was fine with me. I had Alice and although she would drag me to torturous social events occasionally, she was better than an airhead any day.

By now Alice and I had subtly joined the group and had taken our place in some deck chairs a few feet from them, very close to her target. He had smiled at her already, as a greeting when we first awkwardly made our way into the group, but it was a little too warm for just a polite greeting smile. And he kept glancing her way- in very subtle ways.

Maybe Jasper Whitlock wasn't as oblivious to Alice as we had assumed.

These little things were lost on Alice however. I vowed to point them out to her when we were safely at home.

With nothing better to do, I turned my attention to three of the girls at the pool who were in deep conversation.

"…But I'm not sure. He just disappeared and he looked a little funny."

"What happened?"

"Nothing happened, stupid. He just left, but it's no matter. He'll come back to me soon enough." The first girl said with a grin.

"Of course he will," A third girl piped in. "He was all over you tonight. _Did _you did that?"

The first girl let out an airy laugh. "He was, wasn't he?"

Curiosity had gotten the better of me and I turned to place the faces to the voices.

Ah, well of course. I should have guessed. Tanya, Jessica, and Lauren.

Tanya, the goddess with the long legs and shoulder length hair that had a lovely strawberry tint to it. Her skirts were _always _short and her companions were _always _in tow.

Jessica wasn't the brightest girl in the group, and she wasn't the prettiest either. Her hair was obviously dyed a fake blonde colour which left it dull and stringy. Her clothes were more simple, though she did try to mimic Tanya's style to no avail.

Lauren was Tanya's closest friend. She had golden tresses that fell down her back neatly, and words that could burn a hole through your soul.

"Surprise, surprise. Look who's here." I whispered to Alice.

Her gaze followed my discreetly pointing pinkie and she let out a low snort. "That's just great."

They hadn't noticed us talking about them, so they continued with their own conversation.

"Anyways, I think he's going to ask me tonight." Tanya said with a smirk.

"Ask you what?" Jessica asked, oblivious.

"Ask her out you idiot." Lauren said in a gush. "Oh, he's just been hinting at it forever."

"I know," Tanya said with a perfectly rehearsed sigh. "Do you think we'd be good together?"

"Just perfect." Lauren said with a grin as she crossed her legs with a flourish.

The movement caught Tanya's eye and she let out another sigh. "God, I wish I had your thighs. Mine are so fat and ugly."

She was obviously fishing for compliments. She knew perfectly well she had curves to die for and that just about any guy was willing to kill for her.

"Oh, shut it. Your legs are perfect. My legs are disgusting." Lauren fired back.

So it was going to be one of _those _conversations. I could tell the gossip was over so I turned back to Alice.

"I'm sick of this" She whispered in a low voice. "There are only so many conceited gossip stories one girl can take before she loses her head. Any guess as to who Tanya was talking about before?"

"I'm guessing it might have been about, oh I don't know, Edward Cullen?" I said sarcastically.

"Bingo." Alice said with a laugh. "I'll be right back, alright?" Without a moments hesitation, Alice straightened up, put on her most dazzling smile and sauntered over towards Jasper.

I watched silently from my place as she strode confidently across the pool deck. I would be her back up if she needed it, but I knew she liked to operate alone when it came to guys.

"Hey," She said in a light, breezy tone, her eyes wide and beautiful.

"Hi," Jasper replied and an expression of confusion flickered across his face before it was replaced with a grin. Already, Alice's charm was taking hold of him.

And already my cheeks began to flush just watching the pair, so I let my eyes wander around the area. Then I caught sight of the friend I'd thought I'd seen earlier.

"Angela!" I called out a little too loudly.

She craned her neck towards the sound of my voice before her eyes found me. "Bella?" She asked as she jogged over. "Why are you here?"

I knew I shouldn't be here. "Alice," I replied simply but I couldn't hold back the grin of finding another familiar face here.

"Oh, where is she?" Angela asked as she took Alice's empty chair beside me. I nodded my head towards where Alice was animatedly telling some kind of joke, subconsciously leaning towards him.

"Are they going out?" She asked, turning back to me, her eyes a little wide.

"Not yet," I answered. "But that is the plan."

"They certainly look cute together."

"Yes." I said clearing my throat. "Are you here with anyone?"

"Ben," She said, a shy smile playing at her lips. "I didn't really plan on coming, but it's something to do, right?"

"That's true." I said, even though I would have preferred doing something else.

"So, do you want to go inside and dance or something?" I overheard Jasper ask. I had to twist in my seat to hide the smile that was tugging at my lips. Things were going well, indeed.

"I'd like that." I could practically hear the smile in Alice's voice.

I kept my back turned for a moment before a felt a light tap on my shoulder.

"Hey, Al." I said as I turned around.

She all but did a victory dance, but soon composed herself. "Listen, I'm going inside for a bit. Is that okay?"

"That's fine," I said with a smile. "I've got Angela."

"Oh, hi." Alice said nodding towards Angela before scurrying back towards where Jasper was waiting for her.

"So where is Ben?" I asked when Alice disappeared back into the house.

"Oh," Angela said uncomfortably. "I actually have to meet him back inside, but you can come if you want." She said while biting her lip.

I could feel my heart sink a little in my chest, but something like this was to be expected. "No, it's fine. Go ahead, I'll be okay on my own."

"Are you sure?" Angela asked, uncertain.

"Yes, don't keep Ben waiting." I gave her shoulder a nudge and she started back towards the house.

With nothing keeping me at the pool, I found myself wandering around the outside of the house. Right behind the pool were the gardens which seemed to swallow up all of the moon light that hit them. They gave me the chills so I steered clear of them and followed the outline of the house to the other side.

What I found nearly made me collapse with joy. Not only was it totally deserted, but there was a tiny play ground; complete with a swing set, a slide, and a small tree house inside the large maple tree that towered over the yard.

With the pulsing music as just a background, and the cool breeze sweeping my hair around my face, I slipped off my shoes and walked bare foot through the grass towards the little set of swings.

It had been years since I had been on a swing and the feeling of my body soaring through the air, back and forth, felt amazing.

Just when I was starting to get into it, I swear I heard I chuckle from somewhere near me. I dug my heels into the grass, leaving ugly brown marks, to stop myself. I all but leapt from the swing and swivelled my head around to catch sight of anyone who could be watching.

"Wh- who's there?" I called out tentatively.

The chuckle came again, but this time above me. The tree house.

I squinted my eyes and sure enough I could see a dark figure, barely outlined in the dull moonlight, sitting on the edge of the house, their legs dangling down.

"Sorry," I stuttered. "I didn't know there was anyone else here."

"No worries." Came a smooth male voice. "It's nice isn't it?" He asked.

"Yeah, it is." I said with a slight laugh and bent down to scoop up my shoes. "I'll go now."

"You don't have to." The man said and launched himself from the tree causing me to scream slightly.

"I won't bite." He said as he stepped into the moonlight and immediately I knew who he was. I suddenly felt way out of my comfort zone and my eyes wandered down to the grass. Maybe I should just walk away. He surely wouldn't be used to _that _approach.

"Are you alright?" He asked with what sounded like true concern. "Are you going to be sick?"

"Sick?" I asked, glancing up into his eyes. His emerald green eyes…. "Why would I be sick?"

He snorted. "You're at a party. There are plenty of reasons to be sick."

I found my eyes rolling towards the sky. "I don't drink, if that's why you are implying." I said, straightening my shoulders, feeling more confident. "In fact, I don't smoke or do drugs either."

He turned that over. "You don't look like the type." He said finally.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What makes you say that?"

He let out an easy laugh, knowing perfectly well he had offended me. I didn't like being branded, being told how I should act, being placed into a category. I wanted to walk away again. But as irritating as his laugh was, it also drew me in.

"I'm sorry if I offended you, but you just look smart."

"So to be smart you can't do what everyone else does?" I asked, pursing my lips. "By saying that, aren't you referring to yourself being stupid? You're the one hosting the party." I said crossing my arms.

"Ah, there we go. You get mad when I assume something about you, but then you fire an assumption back at me. What's to say I enjoy parties like these? What do you know about me?" He let out another amused laugh.

"I know you planned this party." I said lamely, because I could tell he had a point.

"Another assumption mistake." He nodded his head once but still managed to gaze up at me through his thick lashes. "This party wasn't supposed to be a big thing really. I guess that's what happens when you are well known and your brother loves to party."

I raised my eyebrows, not willing to accept what he was telling me. "That isn't what I heard.

"I'm just assuming here," He said mockingly before continuing. "But you seem like the type that ignores the various rumours floating around. Don't you know the truth can be blown way out of proportion?"

I ran my tongue over my teeth, mulling this over. I wasn't sure if he was telling the truth or not.

"What's your name?" He said with a smug smile.

"What?" His question had caught me off guard. I wasn't sure why he was still talking to someone like me. I didn't know why I was bothering to talk to someone like him.

"Your name," He repeated. "I think it's only fair I know yours since you seem to know mine." He let out another dazzling smile, and I hated him for it.

"Bella Swan." I said slowly, shuffling my feet along the grass.

His face softened a little. "Nice you meet you Bella." The smile still held on his face but it seemed more relaxed now, less forced. "I'm Edward Cullen."

He held out his hand, waiting. I deliberated for a moment before I placed mine in his. Instead of shaking it and dropping it like I expected, he tugged at me and dragged me back towards the play ground.

"Swing with me."

**Alright, so I hope this is alright so far. PLEASE, please, please review and let me know what you think. Reviews and favourites and alerts make me beyond happy. Thanks so much for reading. :)**


	3. Sounds Of The Night

**Hey everyone,**

**Here is the next chapter, enjoy :)**

An eerie silence had settled over us, the only sound was the rusty squeak of the mettle chains as we both swung higher and higher. The stars were as bright as I'd ever seen them and I felt as if I stretched far enough I could touch them with the tips of my toes.

"So you never did tell me," I piped up when the silence became too much to bare. "Why is the host of the party hiding out in a tree house anyways?" I crossed my legs in mid air and gave up on pumping.

He thought about this for a moment before letting out a nervous laugh. "I suppose I just needed some air. No one will notice I'm gone." He said, his lips twisting up in a sideways grin that made my heart melt- though I would never admit it.

I couldn't help but let out a snort at this. "No one will notice your gone? Are you kidding? You are the talk of the party." I said while rolling my eyes. "In fact, while I was at the pool, I overheard Tanya and her crew. They're waiting for you, I think." I said slowly.

I studied his face closely, looking to see how he would react to this. Something brief flickered across his features but it was gone before I could blink. "They'll just have to wait their turn, now wont they?"

Unbelievable. He had one of the most beautiful girls at school pining after him and he chose to stay here with me.

"I don't understand you." I said while I dug my feet into the soft grass.

"You aren't so easy to understand yourself." He said with a smug grin and he settled to a stop too.

"Then tell me about yourself, Mr. Edward Cullen." I said, fighting my smile. "What is it like to be you?"

He ran his hands through his strange bronze coloured hair with an almost tortured expression glued to his face. His green eye rolled upwards towards the sky and they seemed to settle there for a few moments before he spoke again. "It's not the life you'd think." Was all he said.

"Keeping secrets?" I asked, arching my brows, not exactly sure how to interpret his answer.

He let out his breath and smiled. "That's half the fun."

"I'm not exactly who you think I am either." I found myself gushing before I could stop it. Something inside of me wanted to keep talking to him. "Tonight I haven't been…" I struggled to find the right word.

"Yourself?" He coaxed.

"Yes, I mean I'm never quite this adventurous, you could say." I said with a satisfied smile.

"Since when is swinging adventurous?" He asked while starting to pump his legs again.

"It's not," I laughed and started to swing again too. "But, I came to this party, which I vowed to never do, I helped set my friend up with someone she has been wanting to get with for a while, I snuck into your yard, and now I am swinging with a complete stranger. I'd call that pretty adventurous."

"Your friend?" He asked questioningly.

"You probably don't know her." I admitted with a slight smile. "Her name is Alice Brandon. About yay high." I made the mistake of bringing one of my hands off of the metal chain to point out Alice's tiny height, but instead I lost my balance and landed with a thud on my back.

"Ouch." I said with a huff while Edward scrambled from his swing to help me to my feet.

"Bella, are you alright?" He asked me repeatedly while he used his strong arms to pull me up.

"I'm fine." I told him while dusting off my backside, all the while a cherry red blush making its self known on my cheeks.

I was suddenly hyper aware of how close we were standing; chest to chest. His bright eyes were trained to me and the scent coming off his chest was making my head spin.

"I have an idea." He said suddenly with such an intensity it frightened me. I automatically took a step back to gain my composure.

"What?" I asked him, part nervous, part curious.

"I bet you've never done it before either." He said with a grin and held out his hand, a silent plea for me to trust him.

"What?" I asked again, not willing to trust him quite yet.

"I bet you've never danced with a guy at his party, in his backyard." He explained slowly, still extending his hand. When I didn't answer he raised his thick brows. "I thought tonight was about being adventurous?"

I couldn't fight the lump forming in my throat and already my legs began to freeze up. "That's not a good idea." I chocked. "I don't dance and by don't I mean I can't."

"Sure you can. I'll lead." He reached his hand even closer and I took another step back, nearly tripping.

"But," My mind floundered around trying to come up with something, anything, that would get me out of dancing. "But there's no music." I came up with at last.

"It's better that way," He said with a heartbreaking smile. "We can make it however fast or slow we want to. The sky is the limit."

My brain seemed to be moving as fast as a slug, while my mouth seemed to flail like a fish; opening and closing, choking on words that wouldn't come.

"Okay," I finally managed to say, and dropped my hand lightly in his.

"Your other hand goes on my shoulder." He cleared his throat and guided my shaking hand to rest on the shoulder of his dark grey T-shirt. "And mine goes on your waist." He nearly whispered before sliding his hand down to rest on my waist.

"Hi- higher." I chocked out lamely and his hand flew up to near the bottom of my ribs automatically. My frantic heartbeat was all I could hear.

He cleared his throat and peered into my eyes. "Now, we dance." His grin began to spread before he had finished his sentence.

"How?" I asked, my cheeks flushing red and I was sure he could see them perfectly in the silvery moon light.

"You just go with it." He said with a light laugh. "Here, let me start."

He pushed his right leg forward, automatically causing me to step back with my left.

"S-sorry." I mumbled, my eyes traveling down, desperately avoiding his eyes. Why was I even doing this?

"You had it right. Now you step forward with your right."

"Like this?" I asked as I tentatively stepped forward with my right leg. His left leg moved back fluidly, much smoother than mine. When I stepped back it was nearly a stumble, but when Edward completed the step he looked like a trained dancer.

"That's it exactly. Now I step forward again."

It took a few minutes but soon I had mastered the simple steps.

"I swear, if you ever tell anyone I know how to dance like this, I'll have to hunt you down." He whispered in my ear causing me to giggle.

And so we continued to dance to no music, only listening to the sounds of the night around us.

**I am so sorry about how short this is, but school has been rough this week. I promise on the weekend (even though it's my birthday :P) I'll get a longer one out for you. How is this going so far? Let me know and thank you so much for the favorites and alerts and reviews! Keep 'em coming :) Thanks a million. **


	4. Oh my God

**Hey everyone,**

**I am so sorry that this took so long to get up. School was tough and I had my birthday weekend so time escaped me. So here is the next chapter :**

"Can we, um, stop dancing?" I asked after what seemed like hours of silently swaying back and forth. I didn't feel like humiliating myself any longer.

"Sure." Edward agreed with what sounded like reluctance and he let go of his hold on me.

We stood facing each other, me, my eyes on the grass and him, his eyes on the stars.

"Maybe I should go find Alice," I offered at last, tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear.

"Yeah, and I guess I should get back to the party. I am the host after all." He said awkwardly and it looked like he was fumbling to say something else. Before he could find the words, he spun on his heels and headed back the way I had come earlier that night.

I stood, rooted in my spot, for a few moments, a million questions weaving through my brain. Why was Edward Cullen even talking to me in the first place? Why on earth did I stay? Did he really dance with me? Was he going to talk to me Monday at school, or would things just go back to normal; ignoring each other's existence?

I gave myself a good ten minutes before heading back towards the party. I wasn't ready to explain to anyone why I was with Edward Cullen when I wasn't even sure why myself.

Alice wasn't that difficult to find. She had returned to the pool with Jasper by her side. They were talking together quietly, their heads close nearly touching. She would hate me for interrupting but I honestly needed to get home.

"Alice," I called out tentatively and both their heads snapped up.

"Oh, Bella." She gasped. "I'm so sorry. What time is it?"

"Three thirty." Jasper held out his left arm to show her the time.

"I guess we should be going then." She whispered sadly and glanced at Jasper.

"No problem." He said with a grin. "See you around Alice." He kissed her cheek lightly before standing up and walking back into the house.

"Did you _see _that?" She giggled and bounced up to stand next to me.

"I did." I said with a smile of my own. "So I see you had a good time."

"It was amazing." She explained as we walked back around the house towards to road where we began the ten minute walk to her house. The air was warm, but pleasant and the moon shone down brightly.

"So tell me about him." I pried, trying to keep the conversation from shifting to my night.

"He was super nice and he actually seemed to care about what I was saying, you know?" She asked, playing with her fingers.

"Yeah, I do." I said, thinking back to the way Edward seemed genuinely interested in my own dull stories.

"So what did you do while I was gone anyways?" She arched her eyebrows in true curiosity.

"Not much actually." I tried to lie, but my red cheeks gave me away.

"You are lying to me Isabella Swan." She pointed her finger at me menacingly. "I demand you tell me the truth."

Even though I knew perfectly well that she was actually threatening me, I couldn't take her seriously. Her size wouldn't allow her to be scary. "Listen, I'll tell you everything tomorrow. I need some time to collect myself." I explained.

"But Bella," She began in her whiny voice. "I don't think I can wait until tomorrow."

"You are just going to have to." I said with a satisfied grin. It wasn't often Alice didn't get her way and I needed to enjoy it while I could.

By then we had arrived at Alice's house and she stomped up the walk way. "I'm just going to tell my mother we're home and she'll drive you back to your place."

I watched as the lights in the house flickered on and I could hear Mrs. Brandon's voice explaining something to Alice. A few seconds later the door opened and Mrs. Brandon peered out dressed in full night clothes and her hair in sleeping curlers.

"Bella, your father called. He's staying up on his fishing trip the rest of the weekend. You'll be spending the night here." I could see Alice peering from behind her mother's shoulder, the biggest grin on her face. So I _would _be telling her about my night after all.

"Thank you, Mrs. Brandon." I muttered as I stepped into the house.

"I'm sure Alice has some things you could borrow and we have a new toothbrush under the bathroom sink." She said as she patted my shoulder and then left to return to her sleep.

"What are you grinning about?" I asked Alice when her mother had gone.

"Me? I'm not grinning about anything." She said as she tried to contain her grin but then failed. "Your things are in my room. I'm throwing on a pot of tea, so come back when you are finished."

So it was going to be one of _those _talks. For as long as I'd known Alice, we had always had deep discussions over a cup of tea. Though the topics had matured from cooties, to braces, to school dances, I still detested "tea talks".

I slipped into Alice's room and like she promised there were fresh pyjama shorts and a t-shirt folded neatly on her bed. I slipped out of my dress and threw on the new clothes. I let out a breath of relief to be in something more to my liking and it felt nice to be able to not fret over whether I was presentable or not.

After I combed through my tangled hair with my fingers, I found my way to the washroom and nabbed a quick shower and brushed my teeth.

"I guess I'm all out of stuff to do." I mumbled and slowly walked back into the living room.

Alice was waiting patiently on the sofa. She had a tray with the already poured mugs of tea sitting neatly in the center of the coffee table. As I entered she patted the empty space on the couch, a silent invitation for me to sit.

"Can I stand?" I asked feebly. There was nothing worse than having to look Alice directly in the eye during a tense conversation. In my opinion anyways.

"When have I ever let you stand during one of these?" She asked, her eyebrows raised. "Now take your tea and start from the beginning."

Reluctantly I lowered myself onto the couch beside Alice and scooped up one of the mugs from the tray. My fingers automatically curled around the warmth. I hadn't noticed how cold they were.

"So, what do you want to know exactly?" I asked, trying to drag out the explanation for as long as I could.

"You know what I want to know." She said and took an un lady like slurp from her mug.

"Okay," I said after a deep breath. "I don't know where to start." I wasn't trying to delay any longer, I just truly was unsure where to begin.

"Well when I left you were with Angela, right?" Alice coaxed.

"No." I thought back and then remembered. "Well yes actually. But Ben was waiting for her inside so I told her I would be fine on my own."

"Alright, so you were by yourself. What did you do then?" She asked, taking another sip of her tea.

I paused to take a sip of my own before continuing. "Well, I didn't want to stay by the pool with Tanya and her cronies, so I went on a walk, just around the outside of the house and I found this playground. I couldn't resist so I started to swing."

"I don't get what the big secret is." Alice said and leaned farther back into the couch, frustrated with me.

"I'm not finished yet."

* * *

"Oh my God." Alice said for the eleventh time in five minutes.

"It really wasn't that big of a deal." I said as I crossed and un crossed my legs nervously.

"Oh my God."

"I mean, we were just dancing."

"Oh my God."

"What's the big deal about Edward Cullen anyways? He's just a person."

"Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God."

"Will you stop saying that!" I snapped at last and jumped to my feet. "It doesn't even matter."

"Of course it does, Bella! _You _were _dancing _with _Edward Cullen _at his own party! Do you know what this means?" She screeched as she leapt up as well.

"It doesn't mean anything. Things will just go back to normal on Monday and neither of us will talk to the other." I explained, crossing my arms.

"There is no way that will happen, not on my watch." Alice said with a grin that scared me.

"Listen, please, please don't get into this. It was nothing. It will never be anything." I practically begged.

Alice took a deep breath and she seemed to be deep in thought. She sat back down on the couch gracefully and I could see the gears churning in her mind. "Edward Cullen. Oh my God." She mumbled quietly under her breath.

I slapped my forehead and slumped back onto the couch beside her. What had I gotten myself into?

**Okay, I know this is short and I know it is rather dull, but I needed to build some stuff up with Alice. **

**Also, I am in need of a Beta for this story, so if you are interested, PM me or leave a review letting me know you are interested, thanks again**

**(You already read it, so why not review. Little Button down there. You know you want to click it :)  
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